Title: Creates Soft 404 Errors
Last modified: September 3, 2016

---

# Creates Soft 404 Errors

 *  [bimmer550](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bimmer550/)
 * (@bimmer550)
 * [11 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/creates-soft-404-errors/)
 * This is the incorrect way to handle a 404. You can specify a custom 404 page 
   right in your .htaccess file. It’s nice that there is a plugin for those that
   don’t want to or don’t know how to manage a .htaccess file, but this plugin does
   it in the wrong way.
 * The problem is it forwards the visitor to your “404” page, but the status code
   it gives is 200. So if old pages are indexed in Google, even though you are taking
   them to your custom 404 page, you’re telling Google that the original page actually
   exists. It’s inconsistent. It needs to give a 404 status.
 * [https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2409443/?ctx=MCE&ctx=S4&hl=en&authuser=1](https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/2409443/?ctx=MCE&ctx=S4&hl=en&authuser=1)

The topic ‘Creates Soft 404 Errors’ is closed to new replies.

 * ![](https://s.w.org/plugins/geopattern-icon/404-to-start_ff4621.svg)
 * [404 to Start](https://wordpress.org/plugins/404-to-start/)
 * [Frequently Asked Questions](https://wordpress.org/plugins/404-to-start/#faq)
 * [Support Threads](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/404-to-start/)
 * [Active Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/404-to-start/active/)
 * [Unresolved Topics](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/404-to-start/unresolved/)
 * [Reviews](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/404-to-start/reviews/)

 * 0 replies
 * 1 participant
 * Last reply from: [bimmer550](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bimmer550/)
 * Last activity: [11 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/creates-soft-404-errors/)